Purchasing a vehicle can be a big decision, and you want to do everything you can to protect your new vehicle, right? You can do one simple thing to help protect your car from cosmetic damage and maintain vehicle performance. We have done the research, and we have the answer for you.
Keeping your car parked in a garage can protect your vehicle from environmental factors such as rain, hail, and sun damage. Not only can these cause cosmetic damage, but they can also alter vehicle performance. Safety should be a top priority, and parking a car in a garage can help maintain the engine, tires, and brakes.
Keep reading to see why this one simple act of parking your car in a garage can help maintain the safety of your vehicle and its appearance. We all want our cars to look good, but safety and performance are key.
Safety Benefits of Parking in a Garage
The last thing we want to worry about every day is if our car will get us to our destination safely. The outside elements can certainly play a part in the safety of your vehicle. Exposure to extreme conditions such as heat or cold can be a factor in your vehicle’s safety.
Brakes
Keeping your car parked in a garage will limit its exposure to moisture. Heavy exposure to moisture can speed up the rusting process on your brakes.
Over time, this corrosion can lead to rusty brake pads, resulting in a significant loss of control or stopping capability. They can also be expensive to replace.
Tires
Parking your car in a garage limits the amount of sun exposure to your vehicle’s tires. Prolonged exposure to UV rays can dry rot and age the tires on your vehicle. The rubber will begin to crack and deteriorate, resembling dry leather.
Driving your vehicle with tires that have dry rot is not safe. It can cause your car to wobble, and in some instances, your tire can even blow while driving.
Engine
Being parked in a garage can keep your vehicle warm. The oil and fluids in your vehicle perform better at a stable temperature, allowing your engine to run and drive more smoothly.
Because the car is parked in a garage, it will also take less time to heat up or cool off your engine, prolonging the engine life. Dust blowing in your engine can also cause damage.
Cosmetic Benefits of Parking in a Garage
We all want our vehicles to look good on the outside and look like we drove them right off the car lot. By parking your car in a garage, you can maintain that look much easier than if your car is kept outside.
Body
The body of your vehicle is at much less risk when parked inside a garage. A hail storm can bring large hail that can cause significant denting. Windstorms or other treacherous weather events can cause trees or branches to fall, which can lead to broken windows, scratches, dents, or worse.
Paint
Keeping your car parked in a garage can preserve your car’s paint job. The paint not only looks good but helps protect the metal parts of your car. High amounts of sun exposure can cause your paint to peel and fade.
The acidic droppings of birds are damaging to the paint as well. Sap and other sticky residues can also cause damage to the paint. Parking in a garage can limit exposure to these situations.
Do Garage-kept cars last longer?
In one word- yes! As you can see from the information above, cars kept in the garage tend to last longer than cars that are left outside. Some insurance companies even offer discounts for people who park their car in a garage.
How Long Can You Keep a Car in a Garage?
You can keep a car in a garage as long as you need to. However, if you are going to keep your car in a garage for a prolonged amount of time, you should take some steps to make sure it will run properly when started again.
What Happens if you Keep a Car in a Garage for a Long Time?
If you plan on keeping your car parked in a garage for a long time, you should take some steps to maintain the integrity of your vehicle. A car that sits too long can acquire some wear and tear.
Change the oil and other fluids
If a car sits for a long period, the oil and all fluids should be checked and changed if the fluid is old. Any fluid or oil that is old can cause damage to the engine and can corrode fuel lines.
Wash the car
Washing the vehicle before it is stored is a good idea to prevent any paint damage. Dirt, bugs, stains, or bird droppings can cause paint damage if left on for a long period.
Unhook the battery
It’s always a good idea to unhook your vehicle's battery if you plan on storing it for a prolonged amount of time. This will prevent your battery from being drained and allow your car to start when you decide to drive it again.
Does My Garage Need Ventilation?
You should properly ventilate the garage you store your car in to eliminate any toxic fumes or chemicals. Carbon monoxide fumes are emitted when the engine is running and can build up in an unventilated garage. This can be extremely dangerous as these fumes can seep into your home if the garage is attached and can be fatal in large amounts.
A garage with ventilation also can prevent heat build-up in the summer and cold build-up in the winter. These extreme temperatures in the garage can affect the temperature of your house if your garage is attached to your home.
Should You Heat Your Garage in Winter?
If you use your garage only to store your car, it is not necessary to keep it heated. However, it will help keep the temperature of your vehicle more comfortable and help eliminate exposure to extreme cold.
Should You Cool Your Garage in Summer?
Again, if you use your garage to only store your car, it is unnecessary to keep it cool. It can help to keep your vehicle cool and can limit the car’s exposure to extreme heat.
In Closing
As you can see from the information above, parking your car in a garage can protect your vehicle in many ways. So if your garage is being used as junk storage or a home workshop, now might be a good time to clean it out and use it to park your car.
After your home, your vehicle is likely to be your second largest purchase. Don’t you want to protect your vehicle any way you can? Parking your car in a garage is a great way to start! Check out more tips with these related articles:
Should You Back Your Car Into The Garage?
How Long Is A Ford F150 Truck (and will it fit in my garage?)